The present disclosure relates to an end plate arranged on an end of a cell stack body of a fuel cell stack in a stacking direction and including a plurality of circulation holes through which a fluid flows to and from flow passages in the cell stack body and to a seal structure that seals a portion between a case that accommodates the cell stack body and the end plate.
A fuel cell includes a fuel cell stack. The fuel cell stack includes a cell stack body formed by stacking a plurality of plate-shaped battery cells in a thickness-wise direction, a case that accommodates the cell stack body, two end plates located at opposite sides of the cell stack body in a stacking direction, and a plurality of connection pipes connected to the end plates (for example, refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2016-96032).
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2016-96032 (D1) describes an end plate including a plurality of circulation holes through which anode gas, cathode gas, and a cooling medium (hereinafter referred to as the fluid) respectively flow to and from a plurality of flow passages formed in the cell stack body.
The end plate described in publication D1 includes a metal plate body and a resin cover. The plate body includes a main portion and a plurality of through holes that form the circulation holes and extend through the main portion. The cover includes an inner portion that covers wall surfaces of the through holes (refer to, for example, FIGS. 7, 9, and 10 of publication D1). The plate body includes a flange portion including a fastening surface fastened to a flange of a case. An end surface of the main portion that is closer to a cell stack body (inner side) projects toward the inner side from the fastening surface of the flange portion. The cover includes a peripheral portion that is formed integrally with the inner portion and covers a peripheral surface of the main portion of the plate body. The cover is formed integrally with the plate body through insert-molding performed by arranging the plate body in a mold and injecting molten resin into the mold.
Further, it is known in the prior art that the fastening surface of the flange portion can include an accommodation groove to accommodate a gasket used to seal the portion between the end plate and the case.